Bob Soderman's Memory Of Hurley In Action
Posted: 26 Mar 2005, 02:23
On October 14, 1938 in Chicago, the late Bob Soderman
saw Jack Hurley in action when the latter's fighter, Gene
Vinciquerra, a young heavyweight from Omaha, fought
a black fighter from the South Side of Chicago, Virgil
Clark in a scheduled four-round bout. According to
the the report in the Chicago Tribune, the fight was
the "liveliest of the preliminary bouts" in which there was "toe-
to-toe slugging." The report also said that by the order of
Secretary John Owen, Vinciquerra was disqualified and
Clark got the decision. Owen said that Hurley violated the
rules when "he stopped the fighters from falling off the ring
apron to which they had fallen after after an exchange in
the third round. The mixup occurred shortly after
Vinciquerra had suffered a nine count knockdown in
the round."
Soderman remember the incident differently and wrote
an article about it that was published in the August
1952 BOXING RECORD, a publication put out by
Dick Mastro over a number of decades in Chicago
and then Los Angeles. Vinciquerra got off to a
terrific start and he was punishing the groggy
Clark while trying to get the knockout in the
third round. But Vinciquerra got tired and had
fallen against his opponent after over one
minute into the round. Clark pushed Vinciquerra
back and threw a looping right that landed high
on the head.
"Vinciquerra stumbled backwards. He would fall
heavily on his hands and knees, but continued
fall until his head was outside of the ropes and
a few feet from his corner. The following excerpt
was from the article:
It was obvious that Vinciquerra was out. The
stunning punch thrown by Clark at a time when
Vinciquerra was totally exhausted had served
to render him almost senseless.
Hurley, see that Carl would most surely be counted out
for the first time in his career, raced the few feet along
the edge of the ring separating them and, reaching the
point where Vinciquerra lay inert, reached up and
sharply slapped Carl across the face! Once! Twice,
Now back and forth as the referee's count reached six.
The slaps revived Carl and he shook his head savagely
and roused himself to his feet at the count of nine. He
clinched and held the balance of the round to save
himself from a kayo. The fourth round saw Carl manage
to stave offf Clark's efforts to hang the kayo wallop on
him but Carl was still too exhausted to do much fighting
back himself.
The official decision was a draw though the Illinois
Commission reversed the decision afterwar and ruled
that Hurley's action in the third round of reviving his
man had disqualified his fighter."
Vinciquerra would knock out Clark in a rematch,
breaking the latter's jaw. Afterwards, Vinciquerra
would be a main event fighter, scoring many more
wins before he retired despite not becoming a
contender. It was wondered what would happen
to his career if Hurley's quick action in Carl's
first bout with Clark didn't take place.
- Chuck Johnston
saw Jack Hurley in action when the latter's fighter, Gene
Vinciquerra, a young heavyweight from Omaha, fought
a black fighter from the South Side of Chicago, Virgil
Clark in a scheduled four-round bout. According to
the the report in the Chicago Tribune, the fight was
the "liveliest of the preliminary bouts" in which there was "toe-
to-toe slugging." The report also said that by the order of
Secretary John Owen, Vinciquerra was disqualified and
Clark got the decision. Owen said that Hurley violated the
rules when "he stopped the fighters from falling off the ring
apron to which they had fallen after after an exchange in
the third round. The mixup occurred shortly after
Vinciquerra had suffered a nine count knockdown in
the round."
Soderman remember the incident differently and wrote
an article about it that was published in the August
1952 BOXING RECORD, a publication put out by
Dick Mastro over a number of decades in Chicago
and then Los Angeles. Vinciquerra got off to a
terrific start and he was punishing the groggy
Clark while trying to get the knockout in the
third round. But Vinciquerra got tired and had
fallen against his opponent after over one
minute into the round. Clark pushed Vinciquerra
back and threw a looping right that landed high
on the head.
"Vinciquerra stumbled backwards. He would fall
heavily on his hands and knees, but continued
fall until his head was outside of the ropes and
a few feet from his corner. The following excerpt
was from the article:
It was obvious that Vinciquerra was out. The
stunning punch thrown by Clark at a time when
Vinciquerra was totally exhausted had served
to render him almost senseless.
Hurley, see that Carl would most surely be counted out
for the first time in his career, raced the few feet along
the edge of the ring separating them and, reaching the
point where Vinciquerra lay inert, reached up and
sharply slapped Carl across the face! Once! Twice,
Now back and forth as the referee's count reached six.
The slaps revived Carl and he shook his head savagely
and roused himself to his feet at the count of nine. He
clinched and held the balance of the round to save
himself from a kayo. The fourth round saw Carl manage
to stave offf Clark's efforts to hang the kayo wallop on
him but Carl was still too exhausted to do much fighting
back himself.
The official decision was a draw though the Illinois
Commission reversed the decision afterwar and ruled
that Hurley's action in the third round of reviving his
man had disqualified his fighter."
Vinciquerra would knock out Clark in a rematch,
breaking the latter's jaw. Afterwards, Vinciquerra
would be a main event fighter, scoring many more
wins before he retired despite not becoming a
contender. It was wondered what would happen
to his career if Hurley's quick action in Carl's
first bout with Clark didn't take place.
- Chuck Johnston
